December 27, 2024

Simple Things

Mark 4:10-20

The first thing that we notice here is that the lack of understanding is not just within the called disciples, but also from others in the crowd around him.  Then Jesus speaks a rather strange message, including an adaptation of words from the prophet Isaiah, chapter six, verses nine and ten.  The reason that I say this is rather strange, is that it divides people into two groups, the insiders with the secret of the kingdom of God, and the outsiders who are not part of that group.  It provides a definite division between these peoples.

There are a couple of things to consider here.  The first is what we perceive about the nature of parables.  Are they meant to be riddles that confuse people?  Or, are they meant to be simple statements and stories that open doors of understanding for people?  I believe that they are meant to do the latter, to become ways to welcome people in, if they are willing to engage in the process of discovery.

If that is so, what do we make of Jesus’ statement that seems quite exclusive of some.  Well, we have to consider the time when this gospel was written.  It was around the year 70 CE, about the same time when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans.  This was a time of great fear.  Who were the followers of Jesus, and who might be someone who posed a threat to the church?  There were insiders and outsiders, so to speak.  And I think that the mind set of the time was that Jesus had known this, and thus he spoke in parables so that the insiders would understand and the outsiders would be confused.  The problem with this, at least for me, is that Jesus came in order to be welcoming of all, to invite all into the movement of the kingdom of God, and that the only way to be excluded was to do that yourself.  So, I think that the recorded words of Jesus here do not reflect his own approach, but rather they speak to the situation of the church at the time.  I am certain that they recalled Jesus saying these things.  I just don’t think that Jesus said it as they remembered it.

Now, it is also true that, as I mentioned last week, people at times want things just presented to them, rather than having to engage with things so as to draw meaning from them.  With the parables, it does take some effort to understand what Jesus is saying.  Through that effort though, comes the reward of realizing the truth that he is offering.

But Jesus is astounded though when they ask about the meaning of this parable.  He essentially says, “If you don’t understand this simple parable, how will you understand all of the others?”  And so, he explains.  His explanation is an allegorical one, indicating that each element in the story means something else.  This is not typical of what Jesus does in telling parables, but for now we can take this explanation at face value and draw out its meaning for us.  Which is what Jesus intends for us to do with each parable, to derive its meaning for us, in our life situation, which may vary from how another person sees it, but which reveals truth to each of us as we are able to receive it.

December 20, 2024

Soil and Growth

Mark 4:1-9

If you are reading ahead, then you know that several verses after this selection we are given an interpretation of the parable about the sower.  I have set aside this portion with just the telling of the parable, because I think that Jesus meant for his parables to stand on their own, rather than being explained.  That doesn’t mean that he didn’t help the disciples out by explaining this one, but in general I believe he wanted people to discover their own meaning in each parable.

The point of a parable is not to just give another teaching that Jesus could have told people in a straight-forward way.  The object of teaching in parables was that Jesus provided an opening for people to discover their own meaning, their own truth, as they moved the words and images around in their minds.  Yes, he was trying to communicate a truth, usually something about the nature of the kingdom of God.  But that truth would really take hold as people mulled things over for themselves.

Sometimes we want to just be told how things are.  Jesus offers us opportunities to engage concepts and ideas, and to use our own wisdom and intelligence.  He invites us to use the gifts that God blesses us with, in order to discover what he is offering to us.

December 13, 2024

What Happens When We Have Differences?

Mark 3:20-35

This section of the story is both intriguing and challenging.  Part of the intrigue is that the word circulating among some of the religious leaders is concerning enough to Jesus’ family that they come to retrieve him, or rescue him, although their motives seem a little unclear.  Are his family members concerned about his mental health, or his welfare, or even his safety if people should become an unruly mob?

The charge that is leveled against Jesus is that he is somehow possessed, and not just by any ordinary demon, but by the ruler of the demons.  And his response, in the form of a parable, is that their charge just doesn’t make sense – why would the ruler of the demons inhabit him and then use that power to cast out demons from other people?  Wouldn’t that ruler of the demons, on the contrary, try to make other people’s lives worse, not better?

Then we have this eternally curious saying about blasphemy, and the unforgiveable blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  People worry a lot about the meaning and impact of that proposition.  What gets lost though, is that in saying this Jesus is indeed identifying himself with the Holy Spirit, since he is the one whom they have charged as having an unclean spirit.  This is a self-revelation of Jesus, and an important note, and it gets lost as we concern ourselves with whether or not we may have said something that might be unforgiveable. 

But one of the deeper messages for us as we consider this passage, is how easy it is for people to demonize someone whom they disagree with or just plain don’t understand.  We find ourselves drawn to such characterizations, whether it be with someone who holds a different theological perspective than our own, or in the area of politics, and even in overly competitive situations in the sports world.  As we demonize others, are we blaspheming against the presence of God’s Holy Spirit which God has given to each of us?  We might not always demonstrate the presence of the spirit in how we conduct ourselves, but if God’s spirit is in us, then is it not a gift given to everyone?

Finally, Jesus’ family does show up to take him away.  He is told that his mother and brothers and sisters are asking for him.  Now, this is especially interesting, because while we are of course familiar with this mother, and learn later of one of his brothers, Mark is telling us that Jesus had not only multiple brothers, but also sisters.  We may not hear more about them, but it is fascinating to speculate as to their roles in his life and perhaps too in the early church.

And then Jesus makes a statement that is for all of us  -  whoever does the will of God is Jesus’ brother and sister and mother.  We are all invited into his direct family.  What a gift is offered to us.

December 6, 2024

Calling the Apostles

Mark 3:13-19

At a quick glance, this can seem like nothing more than a listing of names.  But there is much more here.

Jesus goes up a mountain and asks a number of people to come with him.  And he appoints twelve, whom he called apostles, to be with him, to travel with him, and to at some point themselves be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have the authority to cast out demons.  This is an important step in Jesus’ journey, for he is sharing the calling, preparing others to carry his message, and even giving them the special power to cast out demons.

As we noted last week, people had come from near and far to be with Jesus, to hear him speak, to feel his healing touch.  While some of them perhaps came out of curiosity and then returned home afterwards without feeling any particular connection to Jesus, it is safe to say that those who remained can be called his disciples, his followers. 

Yet, while I am certain that he did his best to fill everyone with the good news that he brought, he needed a small group with whom he could spend more intensive times, opportunities to offer them deeper insights, to prepare them not only to help him but to carry on when he was no longer with them. 

We know so little about these twelve.  We have brief stories in the Gospels about some of them, and we receive more about some in the Acts of the Apostles.  But others are never mentioned once this list is laid out.  There are of course legends that surround these apostles, but it is difficult to know how much is factual and how much their lives expanded in the imaginings of people.  Nonetheless, it must have been extraordinary to spend such intensive time with Jesus.  And, known or unknown, their contributions were instrumental in the growth of the church that we have inherited today.